Rubber-footwear last



July 14, 1925. 1,546,041

H. H. STONE RUBBER FOOTWEAR LAST Filed Aug. 26, 1924 ELE Patented. July ll, 1925.

eann PATENT; orFicE- HENRY H. STONE, 0F ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

noennn-roorwnnn LAST.

Application .filed. August 26, 1824. Serial No. 734,244.

To all whom it may concern Be 'itknown that I, HENRY H. STONE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ashland, State of Massachusetta have invented an Improvement in Rubber-Footwear Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to lasts used in the manufacture of rubber-shoes and rubber-footwear generally. Lasts for rubber footwear are subject to conditions which distinguish them from leather shoe lasts arising from the fact that they are subjected to a relatively high degree of heat, i. 'e., about 300 F. in the curing and vulcanizing of the rubber stock of which the shoe is made. These lasts as heretofore made of wood have hence been subject to a relatively rapid deterioration resulting from the fact that the wood stock of the last is disintegrated and its texture impaired by the successive heatings to which it is subjected. This disintegration first makes itself manifest in the edge portion of the last which thus tend to crumble and break away while the body of the last is still intact and serviceable, the period of effective service of the last being thus greatly reduced by the failure of the edge portions thereof. To attain greater durability, rubber-shoe lasts have also beenmade of metal, but these metal lasts have been relatively very expensive and also relatively heavy. The object of the present invention is to provide a rubber-shoe last that combines in large measure the durability of a metal last with the relative cheapness and lightness of a wooden last. To this end I produce the body of the last of wood and provide the same on the bottom of the sole and heel portions thereof with a protective and re-enforcing plate or cover of metal. In accordance with my invention, such metallic plates eX- tend around the edge portions of the last which would otherwise be' subject to disin-' tegration from the heat, but the metal plates terminate a short distance within the peripheral edge of the last, leaving a margin of preferably about one-thirty-second of an inch which allows for the swelling or shrinkage of the wood. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the distinctive features of noveltywill be pointed out in the appended claims. 1

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a rubber-shoe last equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof showing the protective metal plates.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view showing a modified form.

Fig. 4: is a transverse section on line 4-el of Fig. 2; and

Fig 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

10 indicates the body of the last which. may be turned as usual from suitable wooden stock to the requisite contour. In carrying out my invention, and as shown in Figures 2 and 4L,metallic plates 11, 12 are applied to the sole and heel surfaces respectively of the last. These plates are secured by stout screws 13, since I have found that only in this way can the plates be securely attached to the last, as nails or like securing means, should they be used, would be drawn and loosened by the high degree of heat to which the last is subjected. In accordance with my invention these metallic plates are slightly smaller in dimension than the contour of the last bas to which they are fastened, leaving a marginal edge as indicated at 14 around the periphery of the last, of preferably about one-thirty-sec- Instead of having the metallic plates entirely cover the sole and heel of the last, they may as shown in Figures 3 and 5, be provided instead as strips of metal 15, 16, extending around the peripheral portions of the sole and heel only and set into rebated seats 17 provided therefor in the wooden body of the last and so as to lie flush with the central wooden body portion 18 of the last. These protective plates may be produced of any suitable metal, but I preferably make them of an aluminum alloy which combines lightness and strength. The plate applied to the sole portion of the last preferably terminates short of the instep as shown, to save the labor that'would be re-- quired in forming the curve of the shank. I. am aware that the lnvention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rubber-shoe last of Wood having protective metallic covering secured to the peripheral edge portions of the sole and heel thereof, and terminating adjacent the peripheral edges of the last bottom.

2. A rubber-shoe last of Wood having protective metallic plates secured to the sole and heel portions thereof, said plates extending around the peripheral edge portions of the last, but terminating short of the edge for the purpose stated.

3. A rubber-shoe last of Wood having metallic plates secured by screws to the tread portions thereof, said plates extending around the peripheral portions of the last but terminating short of the edges thereof for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY H. STONE. 

